Cartridge



Sept. l, 1942- G. N. ALBREE 2,294,822

CARTRIDGE Original Filed March l, 1939 Figi.

7u 20G HC1 IZC Elu 13u lnvenror. GeorgeNormunAlbree bymM/QM Patented Sept. 1, 1942 UNH' tibi? @FFME Original application March 1, 1939, Serial No.

Divided and this application March 22, 1940, Serial No. 325,339

3 Claims.

This invention relates to cartridges for iirearms and has for one of its objects to provide a cartridge case having a novel two-part removable head constructed so that the two parts of the head lform between them a primer-receiving pocket in which the primer is received. The removable head can be readily removed from the cartridge case after the cartridge has been red and ejected `from the firearm, and when the two parts of the head are separated, the detonated primer is readily discharged and the parts can be easily cleaned .chemically or otherwise, ready to be assembled again with each other and with the cartridge Icase with a fresh .primer in the pocket. rIfhe above features are especially advantageous when applied to a cartridge case designed to be re-loaded after the cartridge has been fired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cartridge case in which the head end of the powder-receiving chamber is shaped to facilitate ignition of the powder and to produce 4better combustion and thus higher velocity to the ybullet as it is discharged. This is accomplished by making the head end of said chamber domeshaped and free from any flat surfaces.

In order to give an understanding of the invention, I have illustrated in the drawing sonne selected embodiments thereof which will now be described, after which the improved 'features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a loaded cartridge embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View through the head end of the cartridge.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a diiierent embodiment of the invention.

Referring l'lrst to Fig. l, l indicates generally a cartridge having a cartridge case 2 contain'- ing a charge 3 of powder or other explosive, and also having a bullet li carried by the neck end 5 of the cartridge case.

My improved `cartridge case is made with the shell or tubular body portion S, and with a removable head l, the latter comprising the outer Ipart B and the inner part 3 which form between them a pocket l@ to receive the .primer ii, the part 9 having the ash hole i2 extending from the primer-receiving pocket i9 to the chamber 20 containing the powder charge 3. The tubular Ibody portion 6 is made with an enlarged interior diameter at its base end which forms an outwardly facing shoulder i3 at that end of the portion of smaller interior diameter. The .portion ot the body having the larger interior diameter is interiorly screw-threaded to receive the removable head.

The inner part 9 of the removable head is in the form o F a truncated cone, and its base rests against the outwardly facing shoulder I3. The outer part 8 of the two-part head has a conical recess i4 in which the inner part 9 nts and said outer part is .provided with exterior screw threads l5 lwhich engage the interior screw threads with which the portion of the body having the larger interior diameter is provided.

The inner part 9 is shown as recessed slightly at its outer end, as indicated at i6. The outer part 8 has an axial through opening which is in alignment with the recess I6 and has the same dia-metrical dimension as the recess, said recess i6 and the opening il forming between them an open-ended primer-receiving pocket IU having a depth corresponding to the thickness of the primer Il so that the primer is exposed to receive the impact of the firing pin. The outer part 8, however, presents a retaining lip I9 surrounding the opening which serves to hold the primer in place, in a manner similar to that which results by .crimping the head of the ordinary cartridge.

In assembling the primer and cartridge case, the inner part may lbe placed in the cartridge case with its base resting against the shoulder i3, the lprimer may then be placed in the recess l and the outer part 8 may then be screwed into the cartridge case.

The screwing of the outer part 8 into the cartridge caseI serves to clamp the inner part irmly against the shoulder i3, said outer part having such a length that it will lbe brought into iirm clamping engagement with the inner part while the inner end of the cuter part is still spaced from the shoulder i3.

Where this Construction is used in connection with a Vcartridge case that is to be rei-loaded by hand, the bullet may be placed in the neck of the cartridge case, and the powder charge may be poured into the cartridge case from the head end while the twopart head is removed therefrom. The two-part head with the prirner may then be assembled with the shell of the 4cartridge acase as above described. With this invention, therefore, the danger of `a pranature explosion during re-loading of the firearm is greatly reduced, since the powder charge is deposited in the cartridge case before the primer is placed in position.

iter the cartridge has been red, the head may be readily removed, vand when the two parts t and 9 are separated, the detonated primer will be discharged from its pocket. These parts can then be easily cleaned either chemically or me chanically, and then re-assembled with a fresh primer when the cartridge case is to be re-loaded. The outer part 9 of the two-part head is provided at its end with an outwardly extending flange 22, said flange being so disposed that when the outer part 8 is screwed home, thereby to clamp the inner part 9 against the seat I3, said flange 22 is spaced somewhat from the end of the body 6, thereby providing a groove to receive the extractor by which the shell is automatically removed from the barrel after it has been red.

Another feature of my invention relates to the shape of th'e head end of the powder-receiving chamber 2i), said chamber 20 having a shape lat its head end which facilitates the ignition of the powder charge and results in discharging the bullet with increased velocity.

These ends are accomplished by making the head end of the chamber 20 with a dome shape, which may be either semi-spherical or parabolic. In the drawing, the head end of the chamber 2] is shown as substantially semi-spherical in shape and where this feature is applied tov th'e two-part removable head, shown in Figs. l and 2, the inner part 9 will be formed with the semi-spherical surface 2| which forms the head end of the chamber 20. This semi-spherical or dome-shaped surface 2| merges into the surface constituting the inner wall of the recess 2!) at the shoulder I3 so that the chamber 20 will present a smooth interior surface with a rounded or dome-shaped end and without any shoulder or break at the point where the inner part 9 of the head meets the shoulder I3.

I have discovered that the rounded or domeshaped end of the cartridge case which is free from flat surfaces will facilitate the ignition of the powder charge, and a bullet discharged from a cartridge case having such rounded or domeshaped end will be delivered with a higher muzzle velocity than when discharged from a similar cartridge case containing the same charge but having a powder-receiving chamber with a at end.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated another embodiment of the invention where the dome-shaped feature is embodied in a cartridge having a one-piece removable head. In this embodiment of the invention, the cartridge case 2a is formed with a shell Ea and with the removable one-piece head la, the latter having -a primer-receiving pocket |00, adapted to receive the primer IIa, and also having the ash hole I2a. This head Ia is pro'- vided with exterior screw-threads and is adapted to be screwed into the end of the shell 6a.

The inner face 2Ia of the removable head 'Ia is also dome-shaped to provide the dome-shaped end of the powder-receiving chamber 20a. In this embodiment, the Shell 6a is formed with the shoulder |311J against which the head Ia seats and the dome-shaped surface 2Ia merges into the wall of the chamber 28a.

This dome-shape for the end of the powderreceiving chamber gives the head of the cartridge case a natural truss effect which adds to its strength.

Another advantage of my improvement is that th'e shell 6 of the cartridge case can be made of tubing, thereby greatly simplifying the manufacture of the cartridge case over the usual method of forming a cartridge case of sheet metal.

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 259,173, filed March 1, 1939.

I claim:

1. A cartridge case for firearms having a tubular body member, the interior diameter of which is enlarged at its base end to form an outwardly facing shoulder between the portions of different interior diameters, the portion of enlarged diameter being interiorly screw-threaded, and a two-part head detachably secured to the tubular member and comprising an inner part in the shape of a truncated cone having its larger end seated against said shoulder and also having a recess in its smaller end, and an outer part screw-threaded into said interior screw threads and provided with a recess of a shape to fit the inner part and of a size to receive substantially all of said inner part, said outer part having a central opening extending axially therethrough which is aligned with and has the same diametrical dimension as said recess in said inner part, said recess in said inner part and central opening together forming an open-ended primer-receiving pocket having a depth' corresponding to the thickness of a conventional primer, said outer part extending beyond the end of the tubular body and having at its outer end a flange slightly spaced from the end of said tubular body, which flange forms with the end of the tubular body a groove to receive the ejector of the firearm.

2. A cartridge case for firearms having a tubular body member, the interior diameter of which is enlarged at its base end to form an outwardly facing shoulder between the portions of different interior diameters, the portion of enlarged diameter having interior screw-threads extending from the base end of the cartridge case to the shoulder and a two-part head detachably secured to the tubular member and comprising an inner part having th'e shape of a truncated cone and also having its larger end seated against the shoulder and further having a recess in its smaller end, and an outer part screw-threaded into said interior screw threads and provided with a recess of a shape to t the inner part and of a size to receive substantially all of said inner part, said outer part having a central opening which is aligned with and h'as the same diametrical dimension as said recess in said inner part, said opening and said recess in said inner part together forming a primer-receiving pocket of a depth corresponding to the thickness of a conventional primer, the inner end of the inner part being concavely curved on a radius substantially the same as that of the interior diameter of said body portion.

3. A cartridge case for firearms having a tubular body member, the interior diameter of which' is enlarged at its base end to form an outwardly facing shoulder between the portions of diiferent interior diameters, the portion of enlarged diameter extending from the end of the cartridge case to said shoulder and being interiorly screwthreaded, and a two-part head detachably secured to the tubular member and comprising an inner part in the shape of a truncated cone having its larger end seated against said shoulder and having a recess in its smaller end, and an outer part screw-threaded into said interior screw threads and provided with a recess of a shape to fit the inner part and of a size to receive substantially all of said inner part, said outer part having a central opening extending therethrough which is aligned with and has the same diametrical dimensions as the recess in the inner part and said outer part also having an inwardly directed retaining lip at the outer end of said opening, said recess in said inner part and said central opening together constituting an open-ended primer-receiving pocket having a depth corresponding to the thickness of a conventional primer.

GEORGE NORMAN ALBREE. 

